Paid Surveys That Never Live Up To The Hype

I recently wrote an article discussing my intentional experiment in paid surveys. I broke my own rule and paid a site to locate these services for me. Please know that this was more like one of those investigative news reports. I already knew what I was likely to find, but I had to pay a price to see the evidence up close.

In my personal experiment in paid surveys I found that in the bulk of the survey offers I was asked to complete questions that were nearly identical between surveys. I was encouraged to download RoboForms to make this process easier.

In the first three hours I was offered about 24 surveys. None were paying offers.

I did have one email that indicated I had been chosen to complete a survey that would pay me $20. Since this was the first (and only) time I had been offered a payment for a survey I signed on and filled out two screens of information before a screen came up thanking me for my time while informing me that I did not meet the qualifications for taking the survey.

The other thing I noticed about my experiment in paid surveys was that the entire experiment was an interruption. Yes, I allowed the interruption because of the experiment, but even when I wanted time away from the pursuit I was still barraged with incoming emails that alerted me to new survey opportunities. All of these opportunities simply gave a chance to win a grand prize featuring a variety of prizes if I participated.

I imagined those that signed up for surveys find a thrill when they received the emails and I can understand the hope that they may have felt in relation to claiming a valuable prize or simply paying off the fees so many willingly pay to find compensated survey sites.

Meaningful pursuits may have been ignored while the email page is refreshed consistently looking for that next big chance to pay a bill or meet a need.

Paid surveys often appeal to those who may not have much in the way of expendable resources. The idea of being able to fill out a survey is appealing because it is something they can do in their spare time, and the potential to receive money makes this something many feel is a worthwhile opportunity.

Because many of these sites use a random drawing to select winners of cash prizes the process really does have the feel of gaming.

I suppose if you were to pay for a one-dollar scratch card each day at the convenience store the thought of paying $30-50 for one year's worth of access to a clearinghouse of paid survey results may not seem so bad. However, when folks who can't afford to waste $35 feel this might be their only way out it speaks to a bigger problem.

It was my intention to gain a first hand perspective of paid surveys so that others might not have to.

If you really want to make money you should either consider a part time job to supplement your income or use your existing skills to create an online business.

The hype of paid surveys never quite reveals actual results. Actual results never live up to the hype.